287. Women Breaking Barriers in Aerospace and Beyond

Despite decades of progress, the number of women in engineering remains stubbornly low — especially in aerospace and mechanical engineering. But that isn’t stopping the winner of the Aerospace/Defense category in the inaugural Women in Engineering: Rising Star Awards.   Heather Cummings is Senior Engineer, Flight Controls & Autonomy for Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company. She leads the development of hybrid electric propulsion controls and vehicle management systems for Sikorsky’s next-gen HEX and RBW, including groundbreaking work on fully autonomous cargo aircraft. A licensed pilot, Heather is passionate about improving flight safety through automation and mentoring the next generation of aspiring engineers.   In this special episode, Heather and Chitra Sethi, Director of Editorial & Digital Content, SAE Media Group, discuss the mission behind the Rising Star Awards, the importance of visibility for women in STEM, and why inspiring the next generation is just as critical as technological innovation.   If you’d like to nominate a trailblazing female engineer (or yourself), visit www.techbriefs.com/rsa. Nominations close on July 22, 2025. Winners will be spotlighted across SAE Media Group’s publications, websites, e-newsletters, and social media channels.   To learn more about Sikorsky, check out our previous episode with Heather’s co-worker, Igor Cherepinsky, on the future of vertical lift.   We’d love to hear from you. Share your comments, questions and ideas for future topics and guests to [e-mail]. Don’t forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all happen—and give us a review on your preferred podcasting platform.   Follow SAE on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Follow host Grayson Brulte on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.